This invention relates to a method, computer program, and system for monitoring and rewarding use of a product, which is preferably an athletic product such as an article of footwear, thereby promoting customer loyalty and motivating people to use the product. In particular, the present invention includes a system and a method for measuring, tracking, and recording the athletic performance of an athlete using a remote device; transferring that data from the remote device to a common location, such as an Internet web site server; calculating, assigning, and tracking rewards based on the level of athletic performance determined from the data; and allowing the athlete to benefit from his or her earned rewards or compare his or her performance level with other athletes using other remote devices.
Motivating people to exercise regularly is often a difficult task. Many forms of exercise, such as running and stair climbing, can be tedious, repetitive activities. Accordingly, some people tend to become bored with the activity over time and often give up before seeing meaningful results from their increased activity level.
Known devices for attempting to motivate people to exercise include devices for monitoring and recording key parameters such as heart rate, distance traveled and calories burned while the athlete is performing the athletic activity. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,963 to Hutchings, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a device that measure the distance traveled, speed, and height jumped of a person wearing the device. This information may be stored and recalled on demand. An athlete may then use this information to track and monitor his progress, thereby motivating the athlete to exercise. However, these devices do not provide any method or system for allowing the athlete to earn redeemable rewards based on the level of activity recorded.
Similarly, enhanced visual displays and computer graphics have been used to motivate athletes to exercise. Typically, these displays include a virtual image of an athletic event, such as a running course. As an athlete runs on a treadmill, the displayed computer image simulates running along the race course. More sophisticated versions of these devices allow the runner to track and monitor athletic performance, xe2x80x9cracexe2x80x9d virtual runners, or even xe2x80x9cracexe2x80x9d other athletes using the similarly equipped devices on other treadmills. Data collecting devices, used to control the virtual images, are secured directly to the exercise equipment, such as the treadmill. Accordingly, if an athlete wishes to use these devices with a variety of equipment, separate data collecting devices must be purchased and used. Moreover, these equipment-mounted devices do not allow athletes to tract their athletic performance during activities unrelated to using that equipment. For example, an owner of such equipment could not monitor his or her athletic performance associated with playing a game of basketball, nor would this type of equipment motivate the athlete to do so.
On the other hand, some retailers have learned that rewarding customers for purchasing their goods or services motivates the customers to provide repeat business. Historically, for example, retailers have issued a specific number of stamps, known as xe2x80x9cgreen stamps,xe2x80x9d to their customer for a given amount of purchases. The customer collects these stamps and may eventually redeem them for merchandise after collecting enough of them.
More recently, airlines have rewarded their passengers with frequent flyer miles for purchased tickets. By allowing the customers to exchange these miles for free or reduced fare airline travel, the airlines motivate their passengers to remain loyal to their services, and in some cases even to fly more frequently.
These award programs have extended into awarding frequent flying miles for qualifying goods purchased. However, while these programs may encourage the initial purchase of the goods, they do not offer additional rewards when the purchaser actually uses the purchased goods. For example, under some frequent flying plans, a customer may be able to receive frequently flyer miles for purchasing a treadmill or running shoes. This is usually accomplished by the consumer paying for the purchase with a credit card that has been issued by the airline offering the reward. However, the purchaser does not receive any additional rewards for actually using the treadmill or running shoes purchased. Accordingly, these types of reward programs offer little incentive for an athlete to actually use athletic products purchased under these programs.
Thus, despite the known prior art methods and techniques, there remains a need for a method or system that encourages the actual use of a product. There also remains the need for a method or system that encourages persons to exercise.
In one or more embodiments of the present invention, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a technique for encouraging exercising persons, including athletic and fitness product users, and sports participants (hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9cathletesxe2x80x9d) to continue or increase their level of exercise. It is a further object of the invention to provide a technique for encouraging customers to actually use a purchased good worn by the person. It is still another object of the invention to provide a technique for encouraging an athlete to exercise by encouraging his use of athletic equipment, such as athletic shoes. These and other objects of the invention shall become apparent from the foregoing disclosure and claims.
According to one embodiment of the invention, a reward determination location, such as an athletic shoe manufacturer, collects product use information from a plurality of remote product use information gathering devices. Each remote product use information gathering device is associated with a product. The reward determination location then determines product use information from the collected product use information.
With another embodiment according to the invention, a reward determination location, such as an athletic shoe manufacturer, collects athletic performance information for a plurality of persons from a plurality of remote athletic performance measurement devices. The reward determination location then determines a reward for each of the plurality of persons from the collected athletic performance information.
For still another embodiment of the invention, a product user operates a product use information gathering device to measure information regarding use of a product. The product user then operates the information gathering device to transmit the gathered product use information to a reward determination location. In return, the product user receives information.
According to still yet another embodiment of the invention, an athlete operates a remote athletic performance measurement device to gather information relating to his athletic performance. The athlete then performs an athletic activity. After the athletic activity is completed, the athlete operates the athletic performance measurement device to transmit the gathered athletic performance information to a reward determination location. The athlete then receives reward information in response to the transmitted athletic performance information.